Sheriff's Sergeant (Departmental Promotional Only)

Attention all County of San Mateo Deputy Sheriffs - this is your opportunity to promote to Sheriff's Sergeant and serve as a frontline leader within the Sheriff’s Office!

S heriff’s Sergeants, under general supervision and within a rotating assignment framework, are responsible for supervising, directing and evaluating the work of sworn and professional staff across a variety of operational and custodial assignments. Sergeants are critical to the daily execution of the Office’s mission and play a key role in ensuring consistent supervision, accountability and service delivery across assignments.

In this role, Sergeants are expected to model professionalism, exercise sound judgment and lead with integrity. They are responsible for ensuring high-quality service delivery, maintaining accountability and fostering a work environment grounded in respect, consistency and collaboration.

This position requires leaders who are committed to public trust and community engagement, who demonstrate excellence in service and who uphold a strong commitment to justice through fair, impartial and ethical decision-making.

The ideal candidate is a principled and service-driven leader who demonstrates sound judgment, professionalism and commitment to the Sheriff’s Office mission and values. This individual leads with integrity, compassion and care. The individual communicates effectively and creates an environment where employees feel supported, valued and trusted while being held accountable to the highest standards of professionalism.

The ideal candidate will possess the following characteristics:

• The equivalent of four years of full-time continuous experience as a Deputy Sheriff in San Mateo County OR the equivalent of five years of full-time California law enforcement experience, including a minimum of two years as a Deputy Sheriff in the County of San Mateo Sheriff's Office, and possession of an Advanced Certificate issued by the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
• Possess a Bachelor’s Degree or higher
• Comprehensive experience within the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office
• A demonstrated commitment to high standards of performance, professionalism and conduct
• Proven supervisory ability, including providing clear direction, timely feedback and consistent follow-through
• The ability to exercise sound judgment and make effective decisions in dynamic, time-sensitive and high-pressure environments
• The ability to ensure adherence to policy, procedure and best practices while supporting organizational improvement
• A demonstrated commitment to fairness, impartiality and procedural justice in leadership and decision-making
• Ethical leadership and the ability to effectively address performance issues and misconduct
• The ability to foster a culture of accountability, integrity and respect within the organization
• A commitment to employee development through coaching, mentoring and training
• The ability to engage effectively with community members, stakeholders and partner agencies to support collaborative problem-solving
  
  

Examples Of Duties

Duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plans, organizes, assigns and supervises the work of sworn and professional staff across divisions within the Sheriff’s Office
• Responds to and supervises incidents, critical events and complex situations; ensures appropriate decision-making and coordination of resources
• Provides leadership, instruction and training to personnel; ensures adherence to established policies, procedures and standards
• Evaluates employee performance; addresses conduct and performance issues; implements corrective or commendatory actions in accordance with departmental policy
• Ensures consistency, fairness and transparency in supervisory practices and decision-making
• Upholds and reinforces organizational values, policies and expectations through consistent leadership and example
• Engages with community members, stakeholders and partner agencies to support public safety and maintain effective working relationships
• Participates in recruitment, selection and retention activities consistent with departmental objectives
• Oversees operations in patrol, administrative and custodial assignments
• Ensures the safety, security and humane treatment of incarcerated individuals in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards
• Prepares, reviews and ensures the accuracy and completeness of reports, records, and related documentation
  
  

Qualifications

County Status: Only current County of San Mateo employees in the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

Experience and Education:

Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills, and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is:

• Experience: Three years' experience as a sworn peace officer in a public law enforcement agency.
  
  

Knowledge of:

Law enforcement principles and practices used in investigative activities; rules of evidence; criminal law with respect to apprehension and arrest of persons; methods and terminology of the modus operandi system; criminal laboratory techniques and means of developing and preserving latent fingerprints; civil functions of the Sheriff's Office; juvenile courts and parental responsibilities; principles and practices applicable to the operation of modern correctional facilities at the County level, including education, counseling, and other measures related to the rehabilitation of adult offenders.

Skill/Ability to:

Instruct and direct the activities of Deputy Sheriffs in law enforcement and crime detection; establish and maintain an efficient classifying and indexing system; gather, analyze, correlate, and evaluate observed facts and evidence; maintain impartiality, transparency and make accurate observations and reports; lead by personal example by interacting professionally and compassionately with community members, juveniles, parents and interested groups; supervise others and to secure the cooperation of subordinates; maintain necessary records of work schedules, assignments, etc.; exercise sound judgement and discretion in stressful and highly emotional situations; make quick, effective and reasonable decisions and to take appropriate action in emergencies; demonstrate leadership and control in volatile and rapidly changing environments; meet State of California medical, physical and psychological standards for law enforcement personnel.

License:

Possession of a class C California driver license or equivalent.

Application/Examination

Departmental Promotional Only. Only current County of San Mateo employees in the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date may apply.

Responses to supplemental questions are required and must be submitted in addition to the standard San Mateo County employment application. A resume or reference to a resume will not be accepted as a substitute for your responses to these questions.

A comprehensive resume and cover letter must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application. Applicants must ensure that their cover letter clearly articulates the most significant contribution they will bring to the position of Sheriff’s Sergeant. The resume and cover letter must be attached to your online application. Do not mail, email, fax or deliver these documents to the Sheriff's Office or Human Resources. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application, resume, cover letter and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to an assessment center (weight: 100%). Details of the assessment center will be provided on the day of the assessment and may include all or a combination of the following exercises:

• Structured oral interview
• Role play exercise
• Critical or Tactical exercise
• Oral presentation (Topic of the presentation and detailed instructions for this assessment will be provided in advance to qualified candidates with confirmation of assessment center invitation.)
  
  

Candidates must complete all components of the assessment center for consideration of placement on the eligible list which will be used to fill current and possible future vacancies. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination.All examinations will be given in County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the “Apply” button.If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org / to apply. Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted in addition to the standard County employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required application materials. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Department before midnight on the final filing date.

TENTATIVE RECRUITMENT SCHEDULE

Final Filing Date: Friday, May 8, 2026, by 11:59 PM PST

Application Screening: Week of May 11, 2026

Assessment Center: Week of June 1, 2026

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